A New Age for Senior Care / Contra Costa sees boom in upscale retirement facilities

Jason B. Johnson, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, April 15, 1999

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Anita Abernathy, 87, stretches, working to strengthen muscles during senior fitness class at Kensington Place Retirement Community in Walnut Creek. Chronicle Photo by Sam Deaner

Anita Abernathy, 87, stretches, working to strengthen muscles during senior fitness class at Kensington Place Retirement Community in Walnut Creek. Chronicle Photo by Sam Deaner

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Residents at Kensington Place in Walnut Creek gather in the common living area to socialize and meet for organized outings. Chronicle Photo by Sam Deaner

Residents at Kensington Place in Walnut Creek gather in the common living area to socialize and meet for organized outings. Chronicle Photo by Sam Deaner

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Denise Ward styles 80-year-old Francine Briggs' hair at Kensington Place Retirement Community's on site beauty parlor in Walnut Creek. Kensington Place Retirement Community offers many services and activities for seniors making retirement life more attractive than years past. Chronicle Photo by Sam Deaner less

Denise Ward styles 80-year-old Francine Briggs' hair at Kensington Place Retirement Community's on site beauty parlor in Walnut Creek. Kensington Place Retirement Community offers many services and activities ... more

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Frances Gasparich said she doesn't know where she'll go once her home, Sacramento Residential Care in Hayward, closes after 17 years in business. Owner Estrella Sacramento said she couldn't compete with larger, newer facilities. Chronicle Photo by Sam Deaner less

Frances Gasparich said she doesn't know where she'll go once her home, Sacramento Residential Care in Hayward, closes after 17 years in business. Owner Estrella Sacramento said she couldn't compete with larger, ... more

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Classical music wafts through the ``Life's Neighborhood'' room for Alzheimer's and dementia patients at Aegis retirement home in Pleasant Hill. Ethel Hamilton, left, and Bill Kari and Mary Jane Higgins seize the moment for a dance. Facilities like Aegis offer amenities such as outings, gardens, cozy common areas and computer rooms. Chronicle Photo by Sam Deaner less

Classical music wafts through the ``Life's Neighborhood'' room for Alzheimer's and dementia patients at Aegis retirement home in Pleasant Hill. Ethel Hamilton, left, and Bill Kari and Mary Jane Higgins seize ... more

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An antique vanity is set in the hallway at Aegis Assisted Living home in Pleasant Hill. Chronicle Photo by Sam Deaner

An antique vanity is set in the hallway at Aegis Assisted Living home in Pleasant Hill. Chronicle Photo by Sam Deaner

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Residents at Aegis Home in Pleasant Hill take a stroll in one of the
garden areas. Chronicle Photo by Sam Deaner

Residents at Aegis Home in Pleasant Hill take a stroll in one of the
garden areas. Chronicle Photo by Sam Deaner

A New Age for Senior Care / Contra Costa sees boom in upscale retirement facilities

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Major corporations seeking to cash in on the legions of well- off Baby Boomers about to enter retirement age are investing millions in seniors housing construction to establish a foothold in the industry.

And Contra Costa County is leading a Bay Area growth boom that is transforming the once-feared image of dark, urine-scented nursing homes that warehouse the elderly into one of vibrant communities that look more like bed and breakfast hotels or country inns.

Managers at several new homes said seniors are flocking to them because of the high quality of care and the Cadillac-style services they provide.

"You walk into some of these facilities and it's like a five-star resort," said Bob Gowdy, sales representative for New Lifestyles, a Bay Area guide to retirement communities, nursing centers and other elder care resources.

Growth here is strong, unlike other parts of the country where new construction has slowed in recent months from fear of overbuilding, according to a recent report by the Denver firm Marcus & Millichap, which tracks the field.

But the spread of large, modern care homes has also created concern that low-income seniors and smaller, less stylish facilities could be forced out of the market.

While most seniors still prefer to live independently in their own homes or with relatives, a growing number are choosing some form of private group home.

Contra Costa is leading in this trend because many of those in its booming population are older people. At least 150,000 of its population of 918,000 are 60 and older, said Judith Weitzner, manager of the county's Senior Information and Referral office.

And seniors from other areas are moving in, attracted by the area's safe suburban neighborhoods and good weather.

The appreciation in home values for longtime Bay Area residents has made it possible for many to afford such lodgings. A strong economy is allowing children to help their parents pay for the new facilities.

Contra Costa County has 281 residential care centers. Only 14 are considered large, having more than 50 residents, while 23 are considered medium, with 10 to 50 residents. Another 13 are for people suffering from Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

Over the past two years, Contra Costa has seen an "overwhelming" number of new homes open, with more than 700 new beds becoming available, Weitzner said.

"I think the competition is getting stiffer between facilities," said Lois Truelson, administrator for Kensington Place, a 178-unit center in Walnut Creek. "You're going to have more competition," and that will probably mean many smaller homes will close, she said.

Aegis of Pleasant Hill is a prime example of that growth. After opening in October, the 90-bed facility, which looks more like an inn than a rest home, is already 80 percent full.

"Our draw is the entire Bay Area. Contra Costa County has the available space right now," said Nicolo Amari, executive director of Aegis. "It's a culture and style of life here, too, in the Bay Area that draws (the industry)."

The average cost for a private senior center apartment in Contra Costa starts at about $2,200 a month. These homes can raise rates at their own discretion.

Aegis' rates range from $1,800 a month for a studio to $3,750 a month for a one-bedroom apartment.

Aegis is an assisted-living facility, which means it is licensed by the state to provide hands-on care. That includes meals, supervision, and helping residents dress, bathe and take medication. It is part of a chain with branches opening in Moraga, Southern California and Las Vegas.

Walking into the building's lobby, one sees a cozy living room with a large fireplace, a piano and a private dining room for small family gatherings. The sound of swing music fills the halls.

Its walls are covered with brightly colored artwork, and a wooden staircase leads to the upstairs living quarters.

Residents can access the Internet in a computer room, and conduct video conferencing.

The center's activities director often can be found outside playing the violin for a handful of residents.

Aegis calls its wing for residents suffering from Alzheimer's disease Life's Neighborhood. It is appointed with old-fashioned telephones, kitchen appliances, clothes and furniture.

"It's all designed to elicit memories from our Alzheimer's residents that are dear to them," Amari said. "Those are familiar things that are very calming."

Residents of large homes like Aegis say the transition to living in a group home was made easier by the amenities such centers provide.

Anita Abernathy said the welcome she received from residents at Kensington Place helped ease her move there after the death of her husband.

"That was never in my mind. We were going to go on forever, and then it happened," Abernathy, 87, a longtime Richmond resident, recalled.

But the growth of such high-end homes has made it tougher for many smaller homes to compete, forcing some to close.

"When I started 14 years ago, $900 to $1,000 was the price people were paying," said Etta Maitland, of the county's Nursing Home Ombudsman office, which reviews complaints and inspects area homes. "We do have some facilities that accept SSI (Supplemental Security Income), and those facilities are constantly filled."

After 17 years of opening her Hayward home to senior citizens, Estrella Sacramento said she is reluctantly shutting the doors of Sacramento Residential Care.

"My clients have been with me a long time. They're like my family," said Sacramento. "I talked to the relatives and gave them a notice. Of course they were quite sad."

Sacramento said she was unsure where all her clients would go after she closes. Her oldest client, an 88- year-old man, has been in the house 25 years.

Sacramento charges $950 a month for meals, 24-hour care and transportation for her six residents. Over the past five years it has become harder to compete with large centers owned by hospitals and big corporations.

One of Sacramento's clients is on SSI, and some others receive different forms of public assistance. Many large facilities do not accept people whose primary income comes from public assistance.

She remembered a case where a hospital tried to persuade one of her residents to move into its elder care facility after learning he had a blue- chip private insurance plan.

"It's very difficult to continue. I can't even consider raising the prices, because they are on low incomes."

Other small operators said they are getting fewer client referrals from hospitals.

Renate Meier, owner of Harmony Home in Walnut Creek, said it is going to get tougher for the industry's smallest members because they cannot offer as wide a menu or as many activities as their big competitors.

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But Claudia Green, administrator for Friendship Manor, a 32-bed home in Antioch, said that smaller homes could actually benefit from the changes.

"It is small, but it's very homey. A lot of people are looking for that instead of the bigger facilities you get lost in," Green said. "It's like a family."

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